A92138:1652
The divine right of church-government and excommunication
The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peaceable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justified, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examined; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peacable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justifi'd, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examin'd; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.
London: printed by John Field for Christopher Meredith, 1646
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I grant it was the error of that worthy instrument of Reformation that he referreth all to the Christian Magistrate: and so he saith, haec omnia—pertinen• ad illas Ecclesias tantum quae Christianum ⟨p. 637⟩Magistratum non habent; non potest hic certi quiequam praescribi, sed fideles et prudentes Ministri pro conditione temporum, publici status et necessitatis Ecclesiasticae disciplinam hanc sic attemperabunt, ut omnia fiant decenter, honestè et in aedificationem Ecclesiae in Mat. 18. Habendi sunt pro hominibus prophanis et a Rep. Christianorum alienis, qui excommunicati sunt.
He favours not a little the Erastian way; for he maketh Moses the institutor of Religion to Aaron, and the Ministers the servants of the Christian Magistrate, loc. de Magistratu. Wolfangus Musculus 16 de Magist. pag. 630. penes Magistratum est locorum Ecclesiasticorum constitutio; defendere leges possunt Inferiores, sed constituere non possunt nisi Superiores, pag. 631, 632.—Respondet ad illud dic Ecclesiae. Ecclesiae Dei magistratui pio ac fideli tunc distribuebantur ut ecclesiis ab apostolis plantatis usu uenit: Yet he goeth not with Erastus, for he saith, pag. 634. Neque docet Magistratus, neque administrat Sacramenta, sed haec faciunt Ministri, pag. 628. Moses primus Catholicus Israelis Magistratus—omnem in populo Dei religionem constituit ipsique Aaraoni et Levitarum ordini facienda et vitanda praescripsit—adeo ut cura instituendae ac moderandae religionis pertineat ad Magistratum, administrandae vero ad sacerdotem; porro si peccaverit formam praescribit—quomodo procedendum sit cum impaenitentibus.
Lucratus es fratrem; fructus est laboris tui. Dic Ecclesiae. Tertius gradus habet provocationem ad totam ecclesiam h. e. ad coetum fidelium cujus vos estis membra; est autem Ecclesiae hic cetus fidelium in quo verbum Christi et Sacramenta recte administrantur; hanc formulam post secuti sunt apostoli, ut est